

Pharrell Williams Is Finally Dropping The Secrets Behind His Ageless Skin
If there's one thing Pharrell Williams is synonymous with other than music, it's his ability to look eternally youthful. At 47, Pharrell has managed to look virtually the same for the last 20 years. And now the multihyphenate is dropping the skincare routine that is the secret behind his age-defying looks, granting us unlimited access to the fountain of youth. Consider us ready to take a drink.
In addition to his profile in style and music as an icon, the "Happy" artist has long since been noted as skincare goals by anyone who comes across him and in interviews is often asked the question (in some form or fashion), "What's your skincare routine?" His forthcoming skincare line Humanrace will answer that question in totality for once and for all.
With the launch of Humanrace, Pharrell is proving skincare and self-care is not only a woman thing, it's a human thing. The vegan, clean, fragrance-free, gender-neutral skincare line offers something for everyone and will help us level up our skincare game. The line is a collaboration between Pharrell and his dermatologist, Dr. Elena Jones, and will be released in phases, similarly to another singing beauty entrepreneur we all know.
First up in his skincare line debut are three products, aptly referred to as "The Three-Minute Facial". He shared in a press release:
"It's created to take three minutes morning and night. Your face is the result of the spirit behind it; it's important to take care of your skin and to also take time for yourself each day."
Is Pharrell out here giving a sermon about skincare or my life? Either way, I have been delivert! "The Three-Minute Facial" includes: A cleanser, an exfoliant, and a moisturizer.
The Rice Powder Cleanser ($32) arrives dry, and once mixed with water it leaves your skin so fresh and so clean. An added bonus is that its ingredient list contains AHAs. The Lotus Enzyme Exfoliator ($46) is a great follow-up to the cleanser and includes glycolic acid which does wonders for evening the skin, reducing acne, and minimizing the appearance of pores and wrinkles. The final step is the Humidifying Cream ($48) where hyaluronic acid and snow mushroom extract is combined to add a creamy layer of moisture to your skin. Secure the bag and save some coins by opting for the Routine Pack ($100) which contains all three of the products in one.
The line is majorly inspired by his own skincare journey (which he started in his mid-twenties), so the line's focus on exfoliating should be of no surprise, as the entertainer has sung exfoliation praises in the past for getting his skin all the way together. In a 2017 interview with Dazed Digital, he stated:
"I exfoliate like a madman. When you exfoliate and you drink a lot of water, that does good for you. To me, the key is just exfoliating like a monster. There's a lot of dead skin. All the time. Like a narcissistic madman."
He further articulated that point recently when he sat with Allure Magazine to drop the details behind Humanrace. Pharrell explained:
"Sometimes you need to cleanse your spirit. Sometimes you just need to cleanse your mind. Sometimes you've just got to get rid of some dead skin.
"Sometimes you've got to get rid of some bad habits. Sometimes you just need to be humidified, brought to life. Sometimes your spirit needs that."
All of these products will be available exclusively on Humanrace.com which will launch on November 25.
Say less.
Until then, here is a timeline of Pharrell being skincare goals throughout the years:
2020
2020
2019
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2019
2018
2018
2018
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2015
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2014
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2007
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2005
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New Jersey native creating a life that she loves while living in gratitude. Beauty, Fashion, Lifestyle and Wellness creative, fur mom, full-time lover of laughter. She is out for revenge against the darkness by being light, taking her own advice, traveling the world, and letting you know that you are so lit. Connect with her via IG @Iamzaniah
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TW: some depictions of intrusive thoughts may be disturbing for readers.
Have you ever caught your mind drifting off to entertain the most disturbing scenarios imaginable? Maybe you can’t stop thinking of all the ways a loved one could pass away or worrying that you left every candle lit in your apartment to which you’d return to a home in ruins. If distressing ruminations like these have crossed your mind, you may be experiencing an intrusive thought.
What Are Intrusive Thoughts?
Intrusive thoughts are unwanted or distressing thoughts, images, or impulses that pop into your mind without your control or consent. These thoughts can be repetitive, unsettling, or even violent in nature, and can cause anxiety and frustration for those who experience them.
“Generally they're unwanted thoughts that come up in our head that interrupt what we're doing or thinking, and can feel very foreign,” says Adia Gooden, PhD, licensed clinical psychologist and host of the Unconditionally Worthy podcast. “It’s any thought that intrudes or interrupts what you are doing. They can be distressing and upsetting for us because it feels like we are not in control of them, and they're coming up out of nowhere and aren’t in line with how you normally think.”
What Causes Intrusive Thoughts?
Certain trauma or stress can contribute to the development of intrusive thoughts, so having a challenging experience from the past or current life situations may trigger them to form. “An intrusive thought could come in the form of a flashback, image, or a thought about something that's happened to you,” Dr. Gooden tells xoNecole. “When it gets to the point where you feel like you can't function or make clear decisions, that's when intrusive thoughts become really challenging.”
While some of the 1 billion videos found under the #intrusivethoughts hashtag on TikTok would lead you to believe that these thoughts are nothing more than casual displays of our imagination going untamed. Intrusive thoughts are more than sticking your hand in a soap dispenser, wanting to cut all your hair off at 3 a.m., or having a random impulse to eat fake bread in public.
The Anxiety & Depression Association of America reports that approximately six million individuals, equating to roughly two percent of the American population, encounter intrusive thoughts. Intrusive thoughts are often linked with obsessive-compulsive disorders, but they can also manifest in individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, or anxiety.
Examples of Common Intrusive Thoughts
Because of the explicit nature of intrusive thoughts, they tend to cause shame and internal conflict in those who experience them. Although these thoughts can differ from person to person, these ideation can consist of:
- Violent or aggressive thoughts towards oneself or others, such as harming or killing someone;
- Sexual thoughts that are unwanted or inappropriate;
- Repetitive thoughts, such as a song or a phrase that keeps repeating in your mind;
- Contamination or germ-related thoughts or the fear of contamination and getting sick;
- Religious or blasphemous thoughts, such as questioning one's faith or having thoughts that go against religious beliefs;
- Doubts or uncertainty about one's own actions or decisions, such as fear of making a mistake or fear of not doing something right.
Intrusive Thoughts and OCD
That’s why Dr. Gooden encourages everyone to understand the difference between our fleeting thoughts and impulses and true, intrusive thoughts. “What level of distress does it cause and is it something you would never consider,” she says. “If you're finding that these thoughts are getting in the way of you living your life and that you're controlled by the thoughts, those are some signs that it would be good to get some support in navigating it.”
She also emphasizes the importance of understanding that while we may not always have control over our thoughts, we can control our behavior. “On TikTok, people are sort of blaming intrusive thoughts on their behavior, and our behavior is always a choice,” she says. “If we are in our right mind and we're not having a psychotic episode, our behavior is our choice — we are not obligated to follow any given thought that we have.”
Are Intrusive Thoughts Normal?
With intrusive thoughts, it’s natural to question whether these thoughts are “normal” to have. However, these thoughts are not meant to define who you are as a person but simply indicate that you have a functioning human mind with automated thoughts that you, or any of us, can’t control. These thoughts may come, but they don’t have to be acted upon, nor do they define who you are.
“I've worked with clients in the past who say, ‘Why am I thinking these things? What's wrong with me?’ But if you're not acting on the thought, then it's probably not a huge issue,” Dr. Gooden says. “If you are thinking a harmful thought towards yourself or someone else and you are making plans to act on that thought, then yes, we need to do something about it.”
How To Manage Intrusive Thoughts
If you are struggling with managing unwanted thoughts, Dr. Aida suggests taking these tips to help manage your mindset when they occur:
- "Recognize that it's a thought and thoughts are just thoughts. We often put a little bit too much weight on our thoughts, and that can create a lot of distress. But remember that thoughts are not facts."
- "Having a thought that's disturbing or upsetting doesn't make you a bad person, and it doesn't mean that you are suffering from a mental illness."
- "Sometimes the best thing you can do is say, 'Huh, that was an interesting thought. I'm going to let that go. That thought is not helpful for me right now."
- "Ask yourself: is this helpful? Is it helpful for me to buy into this thought and believe this thought? Asking that question can be really helpful because we are not at the mercy of our thoughts. If it's not helpful, you can let it go."
Intrusive thoughts can feel bizarre and foreign when they come up, but they aren't inherently "bad." Our minds can sometimes be filled with random and inappropriate thoughts, but that's what our stream of consciousness does: it thinks. Fortunately, we can release those thoughts at any moment; you don't have to follow through with them.
And ultimately, not every TikTok diagnosis is one that we should label ourselves with.
"It's important for people to acknowledge what they're experiencing but not run too quickly to diagnose themselves with some mental illness or disorder," Dr. Gooden advises. "It ends with confusion, and we miss the opportunity to understand the people who really do have that mental health challenge."
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